


Common Cold

by Bowtiez



Category: Prodigal Son (TV 2019)
Genre: Common Cold, Dani Powell Cares, Fluff and Angst, Good Parent Gil Arroyo, Hospitalization, Hospitals, JT Tarmel Cares, Light Whump, Malcolm Bright Needs a Hug, Malcolm Bright Whump, Pneumonia, Protective Gil Arroyo, Sick Character, Sick Malcolm Bright, Sickfic, Team Bonding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-21
Updated: 2019-12-11
Packaged: 2021-02-18 12:16:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,127
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21510907
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bowtiez/pseuds/Bowtiez
Summary: Malcolm is not the kind of guy to admit when something's not right. And, well, something's not quite right. Gil's not the kind of guy to justignorewhen one of his team members is not doing so good.Even Dani and JT can see something's going on with their profiler.
Relationships: Gil Arroyo & Malcolm Bright, Malcolm Bright & Dani Powell, Malcolm Bright & JT Tarmel
Comments: 30
Kudos: 365





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> My first Prodigal Son fic! Yay! I watched all eight episodes in one sitting since I forgot they were recording. I love ittt. Also made my mom watch all eight episodes (I watched them again with her) and she too loves it!
> 
> Some sickfic because you can never go wrong with a fluffy/light whumpy fic. 
> 
> Definitely have some idea for these characters (I love Malcolm with a passion already), so expect more works from me!
> 
> Anyways, please enjoy!

November was always the time when colds and flus were at their worst. Gil had been an officer for over twenty years, and like clockwork he’d seen the common cold practically take out the whole entire precinct one by one. 

It started with a few investigators, followed by some officers and then a couple detectives. From there, the germs seemed to do what germs did, and spread quickly. Within days, the majority of the precinct was either in the early stages of the illness, full blown sick and not coming in, or barely starting it get over it. 

JT was the first in Gil’s team to call in. He wasn’t one of the first, but he didn’t last long with officers calling in sick here and there. As tough as the guy was, when he got sick, it tended to knock him off his feet. After working with him for a while, Gil knew when he called in, it was because he was on the brink of coughing his lungs up. 

Dani had been the next to get it. She tried to power through; showing up and working cases, because that's who she is, but he’d had to send her home on the second day when she could no longer speak without coughing. 

Gil himself had gotten the cold too. It was expected, seeing as almost everyone else had it, but it seemed he had it easier than most to get it. He was back on his feet full health, within three days, only leaving at noon on of those three days. 

Gil had prayed that Malcolm didn’t get it. 

Any colds and sicknesses always hit Malcolm harder than literally any other person. They always managed to deteriorate the kid’s already iffy health worse than anything Gil had ever seen. 

There were of course things that added to how sick Malcolm tended to get. 

Malcolm didn’t sleep regularly, and being sick didn’t help with that. Not only was he restless with his night terrors, but adding his symptoms to that entailed to zero sleep for the poor guy. 

The drugs he took to counter his anxiety and PTSD always knocked him on his ass when they were mixed with any sort of cold or flu medication, so Malcolm tended to just suffer through his symptoms. He didn’t like being unable to wake up in the first place, so he never stooped low enough to taking NyQuil, despite how hard he was coughing or how sore his body was. 

Plus, there was the fact his kid was lanky and slender. Malcolm had almost zero body fat, and if Gil was to guess, Malcolm was surely underweight, but he needed to pick and choose his battles when it came to Malcolm. Gil knew his profiler had never really been able to retain any heat. 

There was also the fact that Malcolm tended to stop eating what little he already ate because of it. 

All that put together, left a very, very sick Malcolm, and a worried Gil. 

Clearly, his praying didn’t do anything, because just after Dani returned, finally well enough after four days of being down with the cold after Gil had sent her home, Malcolm started showing the symptoms. 

The cough, fever, and congestion. The kid was shivering and bundling up. But then he’d strip to his slacks and collared shirt, complaining it was too hot only to shiver once again when left in his shirt. It was a vicious cycle that Gil knew all too well after knowing Malcolm for twenty years. 

And he’d jumped right onto that, fussing over his kid. He always feared Malcolm would get something small like the common cold which would progress into something that would knock him on his ass for weeks. It wasn’t that much of a stretch. 

Sending the boy home then siccing his mother and Ainsley on him. Not to mention he himself checking on the kid when he had the chance, bringing him some tea that he trusted (not that his mother wasn’t trying to help) and force Malcolm to eat in a way his mother and little sister couldn’t. 

The boy was grounded from the precinct under Gil’s direct orders for four days. Until Malcolm pleaded over the phone that he was fine, and that he was getting better. 

It was early on Friday morning when Malcolm shuffled into the office after his four-day ban. His eyes were dull with sickness, and he was wrapped in an expensive looking wool sweater instead of his usual name brand three-piece suit. The tip of the man’s nose was red from constant blowing, and his cheeks were flushed. 

Despite the coat tucked close to his body, shivers still wracked him and his steps were slow and sluggish as he trailed into the office. 

He muffled a cough into the bend in his elbow before giving Gil and Dani, the two in the office, a smile. 

Gil knew that Malcolm was very much still sick. He was hiding it, in true Malcolm fashion. 

“Good morning,” Malcolm greeted, “I would’ve brought coffee, but the line was long and some people were waiting outside.” 

“No problem, Bright.” Dani said slowly, eyeing Gil as if questioning their next move with the clearly still sick profiler. “How about I go get coffee? Americano, Gil?” Gil gave her a nod, turning his attention back to Malcolm, “and a green tea for Bright. Got it. I’ll be back.” 

“Bright,” Gil called to the man who’d flopped tiredly into the chair across from the one Dani had been sitting in. The older man attempted to cover the concern on his face, “how’d you manage to slip past your mother and sister? You’re clearly still sick.” 

“That,” Malcolm grinned sluggishly, “that’s the fun part. They’re both down with this cold. Blame’s on me of course, since where else would they’ve gotten it? Ainsley first and then my mother... my mother just got it yesterday. No time to worry about me when they’re both sick as well.” 

“Your mother and sister are sick too?” 

“Terrific, isn’t it? My mother’s downed enough cold medicine that I’m sure she’ll be in hibernation for at least a week, and Ainsley has always been a whiney sick. I’m sure Jin’ll have his hands full with her for a few days.” 

“And you know this because?” 

“I had to take care of them,” Malcolm coughed. “I just had to check in on everyone before I came here.” 

“You aren’t sounding so hot yourself there, Kid.” Gil fretted. He wanted to reach over and feel Malcolm for a fever. For a reason to send the kid home again. Elongate his ban from the precinct, but he needed Malcolm. And it the kid was willing; he’d just have to let Malcolm try. 

“I’m-” Malcolm gave a wet sounding cough into his sleeve, “fine. I’m fine, Gil. I promise.” 

Gil raised an eyebrow, but he actually needed his profiler at this point in the case, so he decided to let the man be and see how things played out throughout the day. After all, Gil wasn’t afraid to bark personal orders at Malcolm. He had the right after twenty years of looking after the kid. 

“Mhm,” the lieutenant finally hummed. He knew the kid was lying. It didn’t take a profiler to see Malcolm was anything but fine. “I’m going to pretend you’re fine for now. I really need my profiler on this case,” Malcolm gave a pathetic little cheer, “ _but_ , if I think you’re too unwell at any point, I have the right to drag you home myself.” 

“Deal.” Malcolm gave wheeze like cough before smiling brightly. “Though, I’m fine.” 

“You’re with me today,” Gil continued, pretending he didn’t notice the coughing. “We’re going back to the crime scene so you can look around and get a feel of things.” 

“Perfect,” Malcolm agreed, shivering where he sat. His body shook like his hand tremor, making Gil worry his bottom lip in thought. “When are we leaving?” 

“When Dani comes back with your tea. And, we’re stopping to get you something to eat-” 

“You don’t ha-” 

“When’s the last time you ate?” Gil cut the profiler off, “And don’t lie to me, kid.” 

“Do pills count?” Malcolm blinked slowly, a small playful smile creasing his face. 

“Do they ever?” Gil rolled his eyes. He couldn’t even be exasperated, or mad. This is how Malcolm always is. He’s used to this. 

“No,” Malcolm sighed giving a half cough before continuing, “Wednesday. Couple bites of soup.” 

“We’re getting you more soup then. And you’ll finish your tea.” Malcolm opened his mouth to voice his complaints, but Gil beat him too it, “unless you’d like me to drop you at home on my way to the crime scene?” Malcolm’s mouth clamped shut, his teeth clanking together as he did so. 

It was only when Dani returned, passing out the hot drinks, did Gil lead Malcolm to his car. Dani would be following with JT when the latter finished up looking through the victim's bank statements. 

As promised, Gil stopped at a little corner deli and ordered Malcolm some chicken soup. He left his profiler in the car with the heat on, but could see him through the window. Malcolm had a shaky hand pressed to his chest as he coughed into his other arm’s bend. 

Gil couldn’t help but being worried about Malcolm’s wellbeing. Malcolm was never one to openly comment and admit to how he was feeling. You had to drag information out of him. As perfect as he his act of chipper and okay-ness, people who have known him since his father’s arrest could see past that. Like his mother and sister. Gil could see past Malcolm as well, be he didn’t pry like the women in Malcolm’s life. 

When he got back to the car, Malcolm had evened himself. The man was no longer coughing harshly into the bend of his arm, instead sitting with his eyes slipping closed. His hand was still flat on his chest and his breaths were slow and painful looking. 

“You good, Malcolm?” Gil had half a mind to reach over and get a feel of his passenger’s temperature. It couldn’t be normal healthy temperature. Not with how Malcolm was shivering through the heat being blasted at him. He was sure Malcolm was hiding quite the fever. 

“Hm? Oh, yeah.” Malcolm shifted his eyes baring his teeth in a fake smile, “I’m fine.” 

“Uh huh,” Gil sighed. He passed over the small container of soup and the plastic spoon, “eat while we drive.” 

“Of course,” Malcolm nodded masking a look of disdain, wrinkling his nose at the soup before peeling the plastic lid off it and taking the smallest bite Gil had ever seen. 

Malcolm didn’t eat very much of the soup. He ate some, which Gil was silently pleased with it. There was barely half an inch gone, but at least there was something in his stomach. Gil also noticed that Malcolm actually liked his tea, and was cradling it between his palms. 

The drive to the crime scene wasn’t too long. Malcolm coughed a couple times; deep, raspy coughs that had to hurt. 

There victim had been found two days ago in an underground parking garage. The woman had been shot four times in the torso. It was still an active crime scene, and the picture JT and Dani had would help Malcolm, who hadn’t been well enough to go to the actual scene. 

Gil tried to focus on the task of the poor woman who’d been killed, but his thoughts kept shifting to Malcolm. 

His attention was focused on the way Malcolm’s posture drooped when he was sure no one was looking. He heard the coughs; harsh and frame shaking. Malcolm would cover them up as grunts, or grin right after a bout of uncontrolled coughs and assure anyone around that he was fine. 

But he definitely wasn’t. 

Gil was starting to regret letting Malcolm come to the scene. The biting air of the garage was causing Malcolm to shiver harder. His coughs growing more aggressive and wheezes would sometime follow. 

But he swore he was fine. He was doing his job. 

“Is he alright?” Dani asked quietly as Gil stood back and watched a rather forceful cough rock Malcolm as he kneeled to inspect the ground and compare it to the photos. 

“No,” Gil sighed, “he’s not.” 

“Why’s he still here then? I mean, you had me home before I started wheezing.” 

“Malcolm doesn’t work like a normal human being. He tries to push his way through anything thrown at him, until he can’t anymore. He just gets restless when there’s nothing for him to do.” Gil explained, eyeing the kid who coughed again, wobbling and almost falling where he was crouching. “Best we can do is let him do his thing, keep him hydrated and fed and let him sort things out.” 

“If you’re sure,” Dani shook her head lightly. She looked as concerned as Gil felt. Malcolm finally stood, faltering unsteadily and almost tripping over his own feet. 

“Good?” JT asked, hand on Malcolm’s shoulder. The profiler smiled brightly, nodding the stoic man off with a laugh. JT stared for a second before striding his way towards Dani and Gil. 

“That dude is on fire. I could feel it through his jacket.” JT muttered quietly as Malcolm leaned heavily against a pillar supporting the building above. 

“I assumed,” Gil shook his head. That kid was going to be the death of him. 

Malcolm’s hand settled on his chest again, and his face pinched in a pained expression. He turned, quickly dropping his hand when he noticed his team watching. In a couple strides, Malcolm was standing with the group. 

His breath was heavy and he looked exhausted and overexerted from the couple steps towards them. 

“The killer would’ve had to been in the car when the victim was shot,” Malcolm started, pausing momentarily to wheeze, “from the pictures, all four shots were continuous. This car was waiting for her to come out. It’s definitely personal. The killer knows the victim. He knew the victim works in this building. The killer knows her schedule. He was waiting when she came out. He knew she would be the last person to leave that night and he was ready for it. From where her body was, she barely made it out of the elevator when he struck.” 

Malcolm coughed. 

“I’ll have to talk with Edrisa before I can complete my profile,” another cough, “but I should have it done by tomorrow.” 

Malcolm’s arms wrapped around himself again. He cleared his throat in a way that could only be pushing a cough down, smiling at the team. 

“Let’s head back to the precinct.” Gil suggested, letting his hand fall to Malcolm’s shoulder and almost drawing his hand away at the heat radiating off the other. “You guys up for another coffee run?” Malcolm hadn’t wanted soup, but the tea he accepted. 

“Yeah,” Dani nodded before JT could speak, “we’ll get coffee. Tea, Bright?” 

“Oh, uh, yes, thanks.” Malcolm smiled tiredly. He blinked his eyes owlishly as he once again coughed. 

Gil led Malcolm to the car, ushering the other in before rounding to the driver’s side. They sat for a second, watching JT and Dani get into JT’s car and drive away before Gil turned towards Malcolm. 

“You’re not good.” Gil stated. It wasn’t a question. It was an observation, and a damn near perfect one at that. 

Malcolm opened his mouth to reply, but instead heaved a series of hard hacking coughs into his shaking hands. Malcolm looked down at his hands, staring for a second before lifting his gaze to Gil. 

“Not good,” Malcolm agreed sullenly. He sounded defeated. “I think we should take me to the ER.” 

Gil opened his mouth to ask an onslaught of questions he was dying to ask, but the words died on his lips as Malcolm turned his hands, palm up, to the older man. 

Malcolm’s pale trembling hands were spattered in multiple tiny spots of red. 

Blood. 

Malcolm was coughing up blood. 

“Malcolm-” 

It was then, in the light shining in through the window, Gil noticed the slight blue tinge to Malcolm’s chapped lips. In a flash, Gil’s hands flipped Malcolm’s over and drew them in closer. The bed of Malcolm’s nails had the same blue tinge that had Gil drawing in a breath. 

“Your lips are turning blue,” Gil stressed. Malcolm gaped for a second before looking down at his own fingernails and frowning in thought. 

Gil’s next move was to cup his hand to Malcolm’s forehead. He was hot. A very high fever. 

“Kid...” Gil groaned. 

Malcolm coughed again, this time into a tissue he produced from his pocket. He winced, hand coming up to rub at his chest. The tissue too had small speckles of blood. Malcolm gave Gil a sheepish smile as he wiped the blood from his hands on the tissue. 

“You’ve been dying all day,” Gil concluded, starting the car to get Malcolm in the heat again. His shivering was starting to physically hurt Gil. 

“Partially,” Malcolm gave a little pained laugh, “I honestly didn’t know I was this sick.” Malcom suddenly sounded so tired. His eyes blinked shut, but opened a second later. “I thought it was just a cold.” 

“You’ve been putting on an act all day.” 

“You know I can’t just sit around while someone’s been murdered, Gil... I thought I was okay. I mean, yeah, the coughing was bad. And the pain in my chest was a bit weird-” 

“Pain in your chest,” Gil snarled, “Kid, those are the things you tell people. You could be dying.” 

“I’m not,” Malcolm scoffed, “it’s probably just pneumonia. My cold symptoms developed. It’s not like I didn’t expect this outcome. My immune system is terrible, a perfect breeding ground for the streptococcus pneumonia germ... I just didn’t think it would develop this fast.” 

“Right, right.” Gil groaned, finally pulling out onto the road, “let’s get you checked out then, Kid.” 

“I’ll tell Dani not to worry about our drinks,” Malcolm wheezed. There was a moment of silence as he texted, then he snorted a laugh, “or,” he continued with a mix between a cough and a laugh, “they’ll meet us in the emergency room with coffee and tea for me.” 

It was quiet for another second before Gil hear Malcolm huff a quiet laugh of “true friendship.” 

“No, Kid.” Gil smiled softly, patting Malcolm bouncing knee, “true _teammates_.” 

“Yeah,” Malcolm gave a little smile, “I guess.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to add more to this, and someone commented that I should, so I did. 
> 
> You guys won't believe how long I spent researching pneumonia to find a specific kind that would tie into the story and make sense with the plot. 
> 
> Just as a warning, what I have is from Google and Google isn't always right. I have no medical background, I've never been admitted in a hospital and I've also never had pneumonia... so this is probably inaccurate. Apologies in advance!
> 
> Anyways! Please enjoy some Malcolm and team!

When Malcolm had rolled out of bed that morning, completely forgetting he was wearing his bondage strap protection on his wrists and nearly dislocating his shoulder, it probably should have been a tell that the day wasn’t going to go over very well. 

His chest had ached, and his cough was harsh and raspy. His throat was overly raw and he was just so hot- but chilled to the bone at the same time. But he’d been confined to his apartment for four days now, and the thought of even a single hour longer had him near hysterics. 

He needed to get out. Truly. 

And it was the perfect occasion with both his mother and his sister taking a brunt of the terrible cold he was suffering through. As terrible as he felt for spreading his illness. Though, to be fair, he’d warned them about how contagious it was and how it was sweeping swiftly through the officers at the precinct. 

Ignorance is bliss though. 

But, looking back now, as he sits slouched over in a plastic emergency room waiting room chair, Malcolm probably should’ve been a tad bit more concerned over his symptoms. Maybe informed Gil of the dull pain in his lungs with each inhale of breath. 

The man chanced a look to his left, where Gil was seated directly beside him. The man sat stiffly; eyes trained forward at the receptions desk. Malcolm had refused to let Gil try and get him pushed up in line. It seemed rude to Malcolm. Besides, he didn’t mind waiting too much, and maybe someone else needed medical attention more than himself? 

There was a calm silence in the waiting room- or, there would be if people like himself weren’t coughing and sniffling. There were fourteen people in total- not counting the receptionists, but counting Gil and Malcolm himself. At least nine of the people (Malcolm included) were waiting to be seen by a physician, and the rest, like Gil, waiting as emotional support. 

Malcolm studied each of his fellows, eyes trailing over the man with his arm wrapped in a plaid flannel (which was clearly broken), to the toddler no older than three with a cough to rival his own. 

“I could already have you checked out,” Gil grumbled by his side. The man now sat tersely, arms crossed across his chest and eyes intently focused on Malcolm. The younger smiled, coughing into the tissue he produced from his pocket. 

“I’m aware,” Malcolm lulled his head in Gil’s direction, giving his boss a small smile, “but contrary to popular belief, I’m not minutes away from croaking, Gil.” 

“Is there, or is there not blood in that napkin?” The man accused, finger pointing at the crumpled tissue clutched in Malcolm's fist. They both knew it would be speckled with blood. If it had been in the car, it would be some kind of miracle for the tissue to be clear now. 

Malcolm thought that over, before finally breathing out a tired, “fair.” 

“I still can’t believe you’ve hidden this all day,” Gil narrowed his eyes at Malcolm, and the younger ducked his attention to avoid looking into Gil’s eyes. “You’re coughing up blood, Malcolm, these are the kinds of things you tell people.” 

“I suppose,” Malcolm agreed quietly. “If I had of told, you would’ve made me stay in. You need me, Gil. And I can’t just sit around and do nothing.” 

“Damn right I would’ve sent you home,” the man scowled, “do you know how much trouble I’ll be in with your mother if she finds out I let you into the crime scene when I knew you were still sick? 

“And, not only that,” the man narrowed his eyes at Malcolm, “because I let you out into the cold, you’ve gotten worse, haven’t you? You weren’t coughing up blood earlier, were you?” 

“I wasn’t, no.” Malcolm furrowed his eyebrows, “but, that doesn’t mean that being with you for that last couple hours aided in my symptoms developing. It would’ve done so either way, had you not let me come back to work, I still would have left my apartment.” 

“You’re going to be the death of me,” Gil huffed, slumping back in his chair a little bit. “You’re making me go grey.” 

Malcolm laughed at that. And following the laugh, a series of raspy coughs that he hid behind and new tissue that Gil had passed over just in time. Malcolm knew Gil was worried. Sometimes, Gil lost sight of his anger when he was worried. So if he was being a bit tougher than he usually would, Malcolm knew it was just the worry talking and the man wasn't actually mad at him. 

It was then, as Malcolm eased his back against the chair and attempted to catch his breath, that Dani and JT walked into the waiting room. Dani held a cardboard cupholder with three large paper to-go cups nestled carefully in it. 

JT followed behind her, sipping his own large beverage, and, which if Malcolm were to guess was probably straight black coffee. 

“Bright,” Dani greeted him first, then nodded to Gil, “how’re you feeling?” 

“Honestly?” Malcolm tilted his head as she passed him the hot drink that instantly warmed his chilled hands, “I’ve been better.” 

“So, what’s with the impromptu emergency room visit?” JT questioned as he sat a couple chairs away from Gil, clearly afraid to get the cold virus again. 

“Bright here,” Gil spoke before Malcolm had the chance, “decided to start coughing up blood in the car.” 

“You’re coughing up blood?” Dani looked concerned, and Malcolm could even see JT’s features creasing with concern as well. His eyebrows furrowed once more in confusion. No one really... cared. Not usually anyways. 

Well, minus his mother and sister- and Gil who was practically a father to him at this point. 

So, the concern both Dani and JT were expressing was a bit weird for Malcolm too see. 

But, nonetheless, he instantly wanted to quell their worry. 

“I’m fine,” he waved them off, sipping the green tea he’d been handed, “as I told Gil in the car, my immune system is terrible. It always has been, and probably always will be. It’s the perfect breeding ground for germs and viruses. I’m almost positive I only have something mundane like pneumonia.” 

“ _Mundane like pneumonia?_ ” Dani echoed slowly, obviously confused. She raised an eyebrow at Malcolm, who shrugged tiredly. It was all the answer he was going to give, and Dani seemed to see this, as she settled onto the chair on Malcolm’s other side. 

Malcolm coughed again, wheezing quietly to try and even his breaths. The dull pain in his chest was more of a bother than a concern. 

“Shouldn’t you be wearing one of those masks? Y’know, like everyone else coughin’ their germs everywhere?” JT asked from his spot three chairs down. 

Malcolm had thought about picking up one of the surgical masks that were at the reception desk when he’d first arrived. But he decided against it in the end. The masks were more so for people who didn’t know how to cover their mouths; like small children. The toddler with the same cough had been wearing one when they were still in the waiting room. 

“Probably,” the man nodded, “that’s why I’ve isolated myself and only cough into tissues. It’s the same as having the mask- plus, I’m pretty sure that my illness has progressed past the spreadable common cold. Pneumonia isn’t always contagious.” 

With this information, JT seemed to relax a bit. He eyed Malcolm wearily, but didn’t say anything. 

“So...” Dani started, “you’ve just been like _really_ sick all day and still tried to work?” 

“Hey,” Malcolm bristled, pouting lightly, “I didn’t _try_ to work, I did my job. And, it’s no different than you trying to tough it out last week.” 

“I wasn’t coughing up blood,” Dani raised her eyebrows, daring Malcolm to speak again, “and I also didn’t need a hospital visit.” 

“Okay, children,” Gil called over them, voice exhausted like a tired parent. “Enough. Let’s try not to provoke the one coughing up blood, yeah?” 

“Sure,” Dani agreed, narrowing her eyes at Malcolm. “Drink your tea.” 

And Malcolm did. He lifted the hot drink to his lips, enjoying the warmth that calmed his aching throat and chest. The tea was made perfectly, with just enough honey to help with his aches. 

They settled into another silence, everyone drinking their drinks. Malcolm felt bad that the whole team was here with him, waiting for him to be called back for an examination. They could be working, and he knew no one really wanted to spend any time in an emergency room waiting area. 

He didn’t voice this though; it was nice having them there to wait. Plus, he assumed that they were all just waiting until he was called to see a doctor before returning to their day’s activities and the case at hand. 

It was only about twenty minutes later that Malcolm was finally called back to see a doctor. 

He waved off Gil’s concern, promising that he’d be fine by himself. 

\---- 

It was three hours, an x-ray and blood tests later that Malcolm found himself admitted in the hospital, sat stiffly in the scratchy sheets of a hospital room. 

Unsurprisingly, he’d been put on oxygen almost right after talking with the ER doctor that examined him. It was getting gradually harder to breathe as the day went on. And clearly the staff at the hospital had noticed. 

He did have pneumonia. Just not the type of pneumonia Malcolm had assumed. Malcolm had been informed that he had fungal pneumonia, which at first confused him, since there was such a slim chance that this specific type of pneumonia could progress from the common cold and usually spread via environment- but then, Malcolm remembered the day before he started feeling sick, kneeling beside a body at a crime scene in the woods. 

He’d been very close to the ground, breathing in whatever happened to be in the soil as he tried to get a view of what their victim had been seeing at the time of their death. 

He hadn’t thought much of it, since it was what he always did- just not usually in the dirt. That environment mixed with his terrible immune system created a perfect breeding ground for fungal pneumonia. 

So, he hadn’t actually had the common cold at all, as he’d thought. As it turned out, he’d had pneumonia the whole time. Lucky him. 

Malcolm coughed into the tissue in his hand as he shuffled slightly in the bed. It was just so uncomfortable. He’d mostly been admitted for his fever (103.5 F), dehydration and malnourishment. 

He’d be there for at least the night and probably a couple more days because he did have pretty terrible health. 

The hospital already had him started on antibiotics and hooked up to an IV administering fluids. 

Malcolm sighed, coughing carefully into the bend of his arm. He slumped back against his pillows, shutting his eyes. He didn’t open them again until the there was a knock on his door. The door opened, and standing outside was Gil. 

Malcolm gave him a small smile, “you didn’t have to wait for me.” 

“We don’t leave a teammate,” Gil returned the smile, stepping into the room. Malcolm opened his mouth the question the ‘we’, but it snapped shut when Dani strode into the room, followed by a slightly more hesitant JT. 

“You sure he’s not contagious? Not really in the mood for another round of fluids and bedrest.” JT remarked carefully, not quite stepping into the room just yet. 

“Well, Kid? What’s the verdict?” 

“Fungal pneumonia,” Malcolm shrugged to Gil before smirking at JT, “one of the only types of pneumonia that is not spread via human contact and instead spread from the environment. You’re safe to enter, JT.” 

JT eyed Malcolm for another second before slinking into the room slowly. When Malcolm looked back towards Dani and Gil, he scowled to see Gil looking through his charts. 

“I’m pretty sure that’s a breach of confidentiality,” Malcolm muttered, though he wasn’t too concerned by it. Gil had seen a lot worse from Malcolm than what was written on those papers. Gil waved him off, continuing to read on. The man worried his bottom lip between his teeth as he read through it. 

“You’re alright, Bright?” Dani asked from Malcolm’s side. The man gave a heavy cough into a tissue he promptly disposed of after use, then gave her a smile. 

“Getting there,” Malcolm promised. He looked around at the three surrounding him, feeling oddly warm and fuzzy despite the chill shaking his body. Malcolm watched as Gil finally looked away from the file, back to Malcolm with a glint of protectiveness in his eyes. 

“So, if what you have isn’t contagious, how are your mother and Ainsley both sick?” Gil asked as he set the file back on the table it had been on. He’d talk about Malcolm’s extremely high fever and shortness of breath later, when Dani and JT weren’t around. 

“I’m not one-hundred percent sure actually. I mean, I could still have spread it to them. It definitely would have been on me, and around me after all three of you got it, but I also think your frequent visits to my apartment played a role in it.” Malcolm spoke, eyes lingering on Gil, “as much as I was carrying the virus, you’d actually been infected and were also carrying it.” 

“That makes sense,” JT shrugged from where he was sitting as far away from Malcolm as he could manage. Dani and Gil didn’t seem to care as much. Gil was sat on the edge of Malcolm’s bed and Dani in the chair right beside the bed. 

“So... you guys came back to see me?” Malcolm asked when the conversation in the room seemed to drop. 

“Came back?” Dani snorted, “more like never left.” 

“You...” Malcolm didn’t quite know how to respond to that, “you’re been here for _three hours_ just... _waiting_?” 

“Of course, Bright,” Dani tilted her head, “that’s what teams do, you were admitted into the hospital. We weren’t just going to leave you here until we knew what was up.” 

“That’s...” Malcolm swallowed, “wow.” 

He knew for a fact that no one from the FBI would’ve gone to this length for him. He’d be surprised if they even took him to the hospital instead of just dismissing him for the day. 

He’d kind of expected this from Gil, since the man had taken Malcolm under his wing when he was young and was practically like a father to him- but he didn’t... he didn’t really think Dani and JT even _liked_ him. 

But here everyone was, sitting around his hospital bed, hours after he was taken from the emergency room waiting area. 

Malcolm was actually pretty floored with the revelation. 

And he would've stayed floored if JT hadn't of interrupted his inner thoughts and broken him from his stupor. 

“So did you ever even have the cold we all had?” JT asked slowly from where he was seated. He studied Malcolm, tilting his head in interest, but was still clearly uncertain about the younger man. 

“I did not,” Malcolm shook his head, “I had pneumonia from the start. The symptoms I was experiencing were very close to those of the common cold going around the precinct, which of course led me, and everyone to visit me, to believe I just had a cold.” 

“That’s unfortunate,” Dani mumbled, unsure of what to say. She never really did know what to say to Malcolm. He was a strange guy, but she was slowly starting to learn him. 

“Indeed,” Malcolm smiled, “It’s a good thing Gil noticed the discolouration in my skin, or I would still be thinking I had a bad case of the common cold. When I get sick, I get really sick, so I probably wouldn’t have noticed anything out of the ordinary. And the faster you catch Pneumonia the better, for obvious blood expelling reasons.” 

“Man, your luck sucks.” JT muttered. 

Malcolm laughed at this. Laughed hard until he was wheezing and coughing into the bend of his elbow trying to catch his breath. Dani promptly patted his back, which miraculously helped calm the fit. 

It was funny to Malcolm because it was true. And a little because the bedridden man was sure the medication now coursing through his veins were easing his symptoms and slowing his brain. He was getting drowsy. 

“Thank you,” Malcolm turned a smile to Dani, who returned a slightly smaller one. 

“Now,” Gil interrupted, worried Malcolm would break out into another coughing fit if someone said something funny. He didn't like his kid wheezing like that and it hurt him to see Malcolm in a hospital bed like this, “how on earth did you contract this, Kid?” 

“Funny story, actually,” Malcolm grinned. It was funny to him, but it wouldn’t be funny to Gil. Malcolm knew Gil was going to be mad that he’d been reckless like that- even if Gil had been watching him do it. The detective probably didn’t know that viruses like fungal pneumonia could be contracted through the earth. 

\---- 

That evening, as Malcolm stared up at the ceiling from his bed, a fresh round of antibiotics coursing through his body and hooked up to oxygen for the night, the man thought back to his team. 

His team who’d stayed as close to by his side as the hospital would allow, despite the fact the he could have possibly been contagious. His team who had stayed at the hospital for three plus hours simply to make sure he was alright. 

His team who promised to come visit him tomorrow with Edrisa and bring some of the case files so Malcolm could still be working on the case with them. 

He’d never really had a team before. Or, not a team like Gil, Dani, JT and Edrisa before. 

And it was... it was _nice_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay, the actual end! 
> 
> I hope everyone enjoyed me bullying on Malcolm. And for those on Prodigal Son withdrawal considering there won't be a new episode for a while (and the terribly rude cliffhanger from episode 10) reading fics to fill in the void, I feel you.
> 
> Sorry for any inaccuracies, but I tried :( Anyways, thank you for reading! I'll be making more fics between now and January 20th to quell my own Prodigal Son withdrawal, so watch out for those!

**Author's Note:**

> Love me some father figure taking care of his kiddo(s). Gil & Malcolm father-son relationship is so wholesome and I love it! Sorry if any character were a bit off, still getting into the swing of their personalities. 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed!
> 
> Please leave me a comment! Anything counts; thoughts, opinions, prompts, your ideas and even constructive criticism! Kudos are also amazing to see!
> 
> Thanks for taking the time to read this little fic! Hopefully this fandom'll grow quickly and there'll be more amazing fics for me to read! <3


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